Is there any good modern city sim?

We all know that this game has major issues, I've heard horror stories about Cities XL and its creators, and that Kickstarter project was cancelled, so it seems like the city building genre is all but dead. I love SC4, but it's starting to show its age, and I'd like to find a modern city sim that isn't a total waste of time and money.Are there any good city builders out there, or is this as good as it gets?---"Dad! I'm in space!" "I'm proud of you, son". "Dad, are you space?" "Yes, now we are a family again".

#2dkgamerPosted 3/19/2013 5:31:33 PM

Anno 2070 is supposed to be pretty good, not played it myself yet though.---A Valley Without Wind - Dynamic RPG from Arcen Games!http://www.arcengames.com/w/index.php/games/avww-features

#3spankytheslothPosted 3/19/2013 5:43:02 PM(edited)

Tropical is pretty good, though I don't really like the third world setting of it. It has its fair share of problems too though.---Brushes with death are like snowflakes; each one is unique, and if you have enough of them you can make a snowman.

#4AgarwelPosted 3/19/2013 9:23:57 PM

I love Tropico 4.The best thing is that it is also agent based - but much more deeper than new Simcity. Every person in your world is simulated to great details: they own house, have a job, family (they move together), they belong to some faction (religious, comunists, etc. You decisions affect different groups in different way). They have a needs they fullfill (like Sims). And even the skills related to their jobs (so if you take experienced factory worked and put him at the farm, his production will actually go down). So at the and each person has his oen opinions which is used, that to continue you have to will periodical elections.The game looks great and has actually even some big maps.What I loved is that due to attention to all simulated details, the cities and its problems actually makes sense. Only negative I found - later (especially with the Datadisk) it is kind of easy. But still fun.

#5clowningPosted 3/19/2013 9:43:24 PM

Anno and Tropico are fun but they are not really city simulators, more like city builders. The only other recent city simulator out there is Cities XL. You can build huge cities, but it has its own problems.---It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. ...one begins to twist facts to suit theories.... Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

#6chipsNicePosted 3/19/2013 10:25:06 PM

yea i agree with others also that tropico 4 and anno 2070 are both good. But couldnt get into anno 2070 though but i had a great time with tropico and its dlc though well worth picking up especially if its on sale---Currently Playing: BF3(PC), Sim City, GOW:Ascension Waiting For: Bioshock: Infinite, GTA: V

No matter how you call them they are still great and fun games. And still better to have good "city building game" than broken "City simulator" (so far only alternative in Simcity or Cities XL)I did not play the Anno. But there is so much simualtion in Torpico 4 that I would not hesitate to call it city simulator game. Yes, the cities are little smaller (approx 1000ppl), but the depth compensates this. And if you have the datadisk with modern times buildings, some cities looks maybe better than the small squares in Simcity.Plus this game is multiplatform (if you prefer console, you can play on Xbox too). And at this time is on sale (I guess they are doing it on purpose :-D). So the decision to buy is nobrainer.

I mean compare this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSp5DkLVIEYwith the Simcity cities.And if you consider the depth of simulation of the Tropico citizens...http://i.imgur.com/kMk84jE.pngAnd this is just one of the four pages for the citizen statistics. here I found a second page:http://i.stack.imgur.com/i06jE.pngbut there are two more.

Simcity devs should be ashamed :-/

#9ValeriumPosted 3/20/2013 5:08:06 AM

Anno 2070 is great but i cant say its anything like simcity.

#10Lysander097Posted 3/20/2013 5:14:32 AM

Try City XL 2011 yet? Cheap and available online on gamersgate now. IMO good enough to be Simcity 4.5.

The disc ones would be XL 2012, the same game but some reviews said not as good.